It took just one practice at San Francisco 49ers training camp last summer for veteran wide receiver Christian Kirk to suffer a serious hamstring injury that not only demolished his summer workouts but also seriously cut into his ability to suit up for the Niners into the regular season.
Then, just ahead of San Francisco's Week 9 tilt against the Las Vegas Raiders, head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters that Kirk suffered a meniscus injury in practice and would be officially ruled out for the game.
When pressed about whether or not Kirk would require surgery, the coach couldn't say. But the demeanor in which Shanahan spoke didn't exactly shed a positive light on the subject.
Not good.
And it'd be fair to conclude the 49ers regret signing the soon-to-be 30-year-old veteran as a free agent last offseason.
Christian Kirk contract with 49ers continues to age poorly
Granted, the Niners only brought Kirk aboard on a one-year, $3 million contract, yet the $2.78 million guaranteed pretty much assured he wouldn't be part of pre-Week 1 roster cuts. And it's important to remember Kirk signed before San Francisco used its top pick in last April's NFL Draft on wide receiver De'Zhaun Stribling who, unfortunately, is also out long term with injury.
Kirk missed the first six weeks of the season, which wasn't a horrible thing when the 49ers were mostly healthy at the position.
However, amid receiver shortages in Week 7's loss to the Atlanta Falcons a finally active Kirk managed a mere 20 offensive snaps with no targets thrown his way.
Then, he suffered his injury ahead of the Raiders game nearly two weeks later.
True, it is unfortunate. Stribling is still out, and with veteran receivers like Mike Evans (Achilles) and Deebo Samuel (hamstring) also ruled out, too, the Niners will be pressed to find other pass-catching weapons to make up for the shortages.
And, should Kirk wind up on season-ending IR because of the injury, the decision to sign him last offseason will look that much worse.
Even if it wasn't that massive a contract.
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